Planning effective alcohol & drug education

The provision of alcohol and drug education is an essential prerequisite for allowing children and young people to enter adulthood healthy and avoiding harms.

Effective alcohol and drug education however is not only based on information provision. It should build pupils’ resilience and skills around alcohol and drugs.

Good alcohol and drug education develops pupils’ knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to enable them to live safely in our society. It is most effective when combined with programmes that address social norms and other risky behaviours that are common in adolescence, as well as other wider measures, such as a supportive school environment and clear school rules.

Before planning your alcohol and drug education curriculum, get the facts!

The links below will guide you in answering key questions that will help you develop age and needs appropriate lessons around alcohol and drug education.